Burning Red
by SorasKey
Summary: Caitlin Snow is a vision in red and Barry Allen cannot take his eyes off her. [SnowbarryValentine17]


Disclaimer: I do not own _The Flash_ (2014) in any way.

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Caitlin Snow is a vision in—a familiar shade of—red. Her dress drapes low on her back, exposing her lithe frame to his complementary green eyes. Barely there gold straps glisten under the light of the chandeliers, the accent serving as another homage to the suit he replaced with a slim cut tuxedo for the night. His gaze follows her russet curls as they artfully pour over one shoulder to show off thin gold bars dangling from her ears. A look of pride takes over his face at her natural ability to win over the guests surrounding her with her equal passions for science and justice.

"Allen! C'mon, kid, look alive!" Captain Singh's harsh voice brings the young CSI crashing back to reality. "And to think you're the one getting an award tonight. I swear if you weren't West's kid..." He trails off, making no attempt to lower his voice as he does so.

"Congrats on the award, Bar! It's so great see your talents finally be recognized by the city." Barry gives a nod of relieved thanks to the blonde detective suddenly at his side. Captain Singh gives a huff of indignation and sharply turns to leave.

"Thanks, man." Barry motions to the retreating captain's back, glad to escape the critical eyes of his boss. "You would think he'd be pleased with the positive attention the precinct's getting tonight."

"I think you're giving Singh too much credit," Eddie laughs. "And it's no problem. Though if you ask me, I don't think anyone could blame you for being distracted. It's pretty clear it's not the award that has you slack-jawed with hearts in your eyes."

Barry sneaks another quick glance at the woman Eddie is not-so-subtly referencing, despite knowing just one look won't satiate his desire to be by her side.

"Is it that obvious?" Barry groans, shifting his attention back to Eddie.

"Don't worry. I think it's just Iris, Cisco, and me. Well, Joe too, but I think he's trying his best to ignore it. He's still getting used to the idea of you two dating let alone doing _other things_." Eddie winks at Barry, clapping his back.

"I don't exactly like the idea of you, Iris, and Cisco thinking about that either," Barry harshly whispers back, his face now as red as Caitlin's dress. They've been dating for a couple of months, but he still can't seem to shake off his friends' constant teasing.

"What has Barry as red as the Flash?" Iris effortlessly glides into the conversation, laughing at her own joke. She looks as flawless as always in a deep navy dress, matching the silk tie around her fiancé's neck. It doesn't take much more than the embarrassed look in Barry's eyes to know exactly who they are talking about. The couple continue to tease Barry until Caitlin and Cisco make their way over to the trio. While the engineer briefly joins in the teasing, the kind doctor immediately senses her patient's discomfort and rescues her hero in distress.

"C'mon, Barry, it's almost time for your speech." Her perfectly manicured hand slides into his larger one as her other finds its home in the crook of his elbow. Barry anchors himself in the feeling of her pressed firmly to his side as they make their way to their assigned table.

It isn't long before all of the tables in the ballroom are filled and the lights dim in order for the ceremony to begin. Meanwhile, Barry's hand never leaves its place on Caitlin's knee. She's convinced he's tapping out his speech in Morse code considering the way he's fidgeting.

"You're going to be fine, Barry. A speech is nothing compared to taking down metahumans every other week." She whispers, then pauses to lean even closer and place a hand on his thigh under the table. "Besides, I think you're going to like the _real_ award that's waiting for you at home." Her tone dips deeper, her lips brushing against the shell of his ear.

Barry immediately flushes red once again and in the next moment is called up to accept his Excellence in Forensic Science Award on behalf of the Central City Crime Scene Investigation Unit. He hopes that the harsh spotlight will wash out his scarlet hue. Though the way he bumps into Cisco's chair as he backs away from the table and awkwardly hurries to the stage doesn't do him any favors.

Barry spends the next few minutes stuttering through the speech he had memorized for weeks. From his spot in the center of the stage, he can see Caitlin's profile perfectly amongst the crowd. The sight of her crossing her legs, which reveals one long leg from beneath the high slit in her dress, nearly sends him into a coughing fit. She can't help but smirk at the way her awkward boyfriend lives up to his reputation. Honestly, if he were any other way he wouldn't be the Barry Allen that she knew and loved.

Caitlin barely has time to grab her clutch as Barry finishes his speech and strides confidently towards her. He grabs her wrist and pulls her along behind him in the direction of the exit. She can hear Cisco and Iris' snorts of laughter as they walk away. At least Iris has the decency to attempt to muffle the noise against Eddie's shoulder. Thankfully the next award of the night is already being presented so they are able to sneak out without causing any more of a scene than the raucous table they left behind.

The couple slow their pace as they make it to the deserted lobby of the event space.

"Barry Allen, we can't just leave in the middle of—" Caitlin's chastising words are abruptly cut off with a silencing kiss. Barry leans back to shoot his girlfriend an uncharacteristically cocky grin.

"I don't think they're going to miss us." Caitlin rolls her eyes, allowing Barry to scoop her into his arms and flash them back to his apartment. While the trip may only take seconds, Caitlin curls tight into Barry's chest. She presses her forehead to his clavicle in a practiced move that she knows will help avoid motion sickness while her arms automatically grip the black material of his suit jacket. No matter how many times Barry has literally swept her off her feet, she doesn't think she'll ever adjust to the jarring sensation of traveling faster than Mach 2.

The millisecond after the door locks behind them, Barry lives up to his title as the fastest man alive as he presses his body to Caitlin's and captures her signature red lips in a burning kiss.

Their mouths mold together in a heated fight for dominance. Barry's lips first cocoon Caitlin's lower lip between his own before shifting his mouth to allow their tongues to push and pull against each others' in a well-practiced dance. This isn't going to be one of their slow, languid nights. The first eyeful Barry had of Caitlin in her dress hours earlier set his chest ablaze in desire and he knew the only way to put it out would be her cool touch.

Barry's long, skilfull fingers don't waste any time to ease the straps of Caitlin's dress off her smooth shoulders. He silently wonders what he did to deserve this irresistible woman.

"You are so beautiful, Cait," Barry groans into her mouth.

"You're not so bad yourself, Barry," Caitlin laughs back. There's something about the carnal way Barry is invading her space that makes her feel freer than ever—with her actions and her words. "I love seeing you in a suit that's not made of red leather for a change. It's sexy."

Barry forces himself to put space between their bodies to tug off his jacket and allow Caitlin's dress to fall from her frame. The cascading red material pools at her feet, covering the strappy gold heels that had been driving him wild all night. Barry's wandering gaze drinks in the sight before him, burning a new memory into his mental compendium of Dr. Caitlin Snow.

He can't help but smirk at the sight of his favorite pair of her lacy, black underwear resting low on her hips, remembering the first time he saw them. It was an accident and completely his fault. He was picking her up for one of their rare dates that required going outside and he thought she had been ready to go when he barged into her room unannounced. She actually slapped him before immediately pulling him in for an apologetic kiss and shooing him out.

Caitlin quickly brings him back to the moment as she presses her bare chest against his lean frame as she kisses her way from his lips down the column of his throat. She nuzzles into his collarbone as they take a few moments to breath one another in before springing back into action. Barry's hands move from the small of her back to beneath the edge of her underwear, ready to push them down her long legs.

Caitlin pulls back to murmur that they are unfairly mismatched before methodically pulling his black bow tie loose and unbuttoning his shirt, kissing a fiery path down his newly exposed skin. She can feel Barry's subtle vibrations as he struggles to keep himself calm. The thought of this being any kind of struggle for Barry brings a look of smug satisfaction to her face. She rests her forehead against the planes of his chest as she unbuckles his belt and in one swift move she has his pants and briefs pulled down to join her dress on the floor. He doesn't miss her pleased expression despite her sly attempt at concealing it.

Barry nearly trips over of their fallen clothing in his haste to flash them to his bed. The couple tangle together, now completely rid of all barriers between them. Their hands map out one another's bodies like it was the first time. Caitlin kisses each of Barry's freckles and Barry runs his hands up and down Caitlin's body, as familiar with hers as he is with his own. Their lips find each other for small quaint kisses, fast passionate ones, and ones that never seem to end. Time is the last thing on their minds as they express their love.

"You know, Caitlin, having you there tonight by my side was all the reward I needed." Barry smiles into her hair after a particularly long kiss.

"Well, Mr. Allen, if it's only my mere presence you need I guess you don't need the award I mentioned earlier." Caitlin's quick wit brings him back to the situation, his wide eyes meeting hers in the dim room. The look of pure shock in his green eyes causes a fit of laughter to emit deep from her chest. Their playful banter never ceases to keep their relationship fresh, it's something that is uniquely theirs.

Barry quickly pulls her back on top of him and kisses her shoulder, silently expressing exactly how he feels about that.

"You're right. I guess I did promise you an award." Her sultry tone causes a new rush of vibrations to ripple through his body. Caitlin just rolls her eyes and presses her lips to his once more.

The couple move in practiced tandem as they build towards a rhythm that is all their own. Barry can't help but stare into Caitlin's eyes, not willing to break their intimate connection. A thousand words pass between the two. They know their lives won't always be easy—if they ever were—but they are grateful for how effortless their love is.

Hours later, a faint blue light from the streetlamps encase Caitlin Snow and Barry Allen as they lay wrapped in his dark gray sheets. Caitlin's head finds its usual place against Barry's chest, both arms loosely wound around his slim waist. One of Barry's arms wraps securely around Caitlin's shoulders, his other hand tangled in her long locks. Their legs are equally entwined in a comfortable position they have perfected over the past few months. The pair exchange sweet "I love you"'s in tired tones as they snuggle impossibly closer. The sound of their synchronized heartbeats ease them into a peaceful sleep while their passion continues to burn red throughout the night.

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Happy Snowbarry Valentine's Day! This is my entry for SimplySnowbarry's **A Snowbarry Valentine 2017** challenge. This onshot was inspired by the "red" prompt and Taylor Swift's "Red" which immediately started playing in my head as soon as I read "red." So don't blame me too much for that last cheesy line, I just had to do it. This story is set in an alternate universe where snowbarry and westhawne are alive and well.

I've been enjoying my foray into the wonderful world of snowbarry and hope you have enjoyed my attempt at writing!


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